Self-propelled toy



Oct. 16, 1951 F. A. FASANO SELF-PROPELLED TOY Filed Jan. 4, 1946 1 5 Q/J'0, M A p L M 4 9 mm F. a L mi 5 w .u

INVENTOR 6/ ATTORNEY,

Patented Oct. 16, 1951 *oiso STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to toys, and has for its main object to providedevices of this type which imitate movable objects, like ships, etc.,and which can be made to appear as moving without any outside force.

Another object of this invention is to provide toys of the characterindicated, which may be made movable by extremely simple means as by astretchable resilient element, a rubber band, applied to the toy in anovel manner.

Still further objects of this invention will be apparent as thespecification proceeds, and, among others, I may mention; to providemoving toys of the character indicated, which are easily operated,inexpensive to manufacture, and highly entertaining in appearance andoperation.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification and accompanyingthe same:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a boat to which my invention hasbeen applied; and

Fig. 2 is a similar side view of the same, while;

Figs. 3 and 4 show details of its construction.

In Figs. 1 to 4 I show an embodiment of my invention as applied toaquatic toys, particularly ships.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the numeral 30 indicates the imitation toy ship, ingeneral, and a shaft 3| is placed thereacross, rotatable in bearings 32.In this case, a rubber band 33 is employed, and its inner end 34 issecured to the shaft 3!, while its outer end 35 is fixedly secured, inthe embodiment shown in the drawings, to post 42 at the rear end of theboat.

In this embodiment, a string or cord 36 is also secured on the shaft, asat 31, and wound therearound as indicated at 38, its windings beingopposite to the windings 50 of the rubber band 33. I prefer to employ,in this embodiment of my invention, a rockable or pivoted tube 39,having an extension plate 40 at the lower part of its rear end. Plate 46rotatably engages the pin 42 fixed at the rear end of the boat, so thatthe tube 39 may oscillate around said pin, as will be obvious, and as isindicated by the double arrow 43.

Preferably the rear end 35 of the rubber band will also be secured onthe pin 42, as mentioned hereinbefore and indicated in the drawings. Anyappropriate element 44, in the drawings shown as a ball, is secured atthe rear end 45 of the thread or cord 36, which, otherwise, is unsecuredat said end, the ball being made large enough to prevent an inwardslipping of the cord through the tube 39.

Paddle wheels 46, of any appropriate construction, are secured at theends of the shaft 3|, adapted to engage the water 41.

The operation of this embodiment of my device will be obvious. First thecord 36 will be drawn backwardly (arrow 48) thereby unwinding the samefrom the shaft 3| and causing the shaft to rotate in the direction ofarrow 49. This unwinding and rotating of shaft 3! will, on the otherhand, wind the rubber band 33 on the shaft 3!, as indicated at 58,thereby stretching the band 33. When the boat is now placed on the waterand the paddle wheel 46, through which the winding and unwinding wasdone, released, it will start to rotate in the opposite direction (arrow5!) and will cause the boat to sail forwardly (arrow 52). During theunwinding and winding, the tube 39 will oscillate once in one direction,then in the other direction on pin 42, as will be obvious, therebyavoiding an entangling of the cord and the rubber band, and insuringtheir smooth operation.

Of course, the ship may be finished in appearance and all the movingmechanism concealed, with the exception of end 45 of the cord 36 withthe ball 44 thereon, and the paddle wheels 46.

It also will be apparent that the principle and construction of myinvention may be applied to other movable toys, like automobiles.

What I claim as new, and want to protect by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. A toy, comprising a boat, adapted to float on water, a transverseshaft in said boat, and paddles at the ends of the shaft, whereby onrotation of the shaft, said paddles may cause the boat to move on thewater, a resilient cord, like rubber, one end of the same being wound onsaid shaft, the other end secured to the body of said boat at a distancefrom said shaft, and substantially perpendicularly to the axis of theshaft, a non-resilient cord, one end of the same wound around said shaftoppositely to said resilient cord, the other end of it being free,whereby upon removing said boat from the water and a pull being exertedon the free end of said non-resilient cord, said resilient cord will bewound on said shaft and stretched, and upon replacing the toy on thewater, the resilient cord will cause said shaft to rotate and saidpaddles will move the toy on the Water, during said movement rewindingsaid non-resilient cord and making it ready for the next windingoperation, a pin being secured adjacent to one end'of the boat, and saidother end of said resilient cord being secured to said pin, a tubepivoted at one end on said pin, its other end being turned towards saidshaft, both the resilient and non-resilient cords being passed throughsaid tube, the non-resilient cord projecting through its pivoted endwhereby upon the winding and unwinding of the device, said cords will beguided by said pivoted tube.

2. A toy, comprising a body, a transverse shaft in said body, andpropelling means for said body on the shaft, whereby on rotation of theshaft, said means may cause the body to move, a resilient cord, likerubber, one end of the same being Wound on said shaft, the other endsecured on said body at a distance from said shaft and substantiallyperpendicularly to the axis of the shaft, a non-resilient cord, one endof the same wound around said shaft oppositely to said resilient cord,the other end of it being free, whereby upon a pull being exerted on thefree end of said nonresilient cord, said resilient cord will be wound onsaid shaft and stretched, and upon releasing said non-resilient cord,the resilent cord will cause said shaft to rotate and the body willmove, during said movement rewinding said non-resilient cord and makingit ready for the next wind ing operation, a pin being secured on saidbody, and the other end of said resilient cord being secured to saidpin, a tube pivoted at one end on 4 said pin, its other end being turnedtowards said shaft, both the resilient and nonresilient cords beingpassed through said tube, the non-resilient cord projecting through itspivoted end whereby upon the winding and unwinding of the device, saidcords will be guided by said pivoted tube.

FRED A. FASANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 200,714 Groth Feb. 26, 1878368,499 Teichmann Aug. 16, 1887 1,094,886 Diossy Apr. 28, 1914 1,258,963Troje Mar. 12, 1918 1,311,415 Parrish July 29, 1919 1,744,904 Kelly Jan.28, 1930 1,779,349 Whatley Oct. 21, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 8,865 Great Britain 1901 760,068 France Dec. 6, 1933

